Geocaching Blog and Information Centerhttp://www.madcacher.com
Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:09:21 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.5Calling All Geocachershttp://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-beginners/calling-all-geocachers/
http://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-beginners/calling-all-geocachers/#respondMon, 07 Oct 2013 14:44:08 +0000http://www.madcacher.com/?p=2180How many times have you rummaged through your backpack for the thingamajig only to find that you left it at home? How many times was it at the bottom of your backpack under a pile of other things and you didn’t see it? I get it…your geocaching backpack is a bit disorganized, but there is another option. No more backpacks!!!

SCOTTEVEST is a revolutionary company that features multi-pocketed clothing designs for men and women. SCOTTEVEST clothing has up to 37 different pockets stylishly hidden inside the garment. That’s right! You could carry up to 37 different tools with you on your next geocaching adventure. No more searching through that bulky backpack because everything you need would be neatly organized. You get the functionality of a backpack all within your pants, jacket or vest. You could carry your GPS, swag, magnet, cell phone, iPad, plastic baggies, a knife, a headlamp, a camera, utility tool, a log roller, tweezers, gloves, bandaids and so much more.

]]>http://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-beginners/calling-all-geocachers/feed/0Extra! Extra! Madcacher in the News!http://www.madcacher.com/new/extra-extra-madcacher-in-the-news/
http://www.madcacher.com/new/extra-extra-madcacher-in-the-news/#commentsTue, 03 Sep 2013 22:26:18 +0000http://www.madcacher.com/?p=2174EJ and I were recently featured in the Bangor Daily News! It was a great opportunity to share our thoughts on geocaching and spread the word. The article can be found here: Bangor Daily News

For those looking for a Navicache.com update – EJ and I are working on funding and will be announcing our Kickstarter efforts at Geocoinfest in Las Vegas in October More to come.

Kurt

]]>http://www.madcacher.com/new/extra-extra-madcacher-in-the-news/feed/2Geocaching Road Trip Frenzy!http://www.madcacher.com/new/geocaching-road-trip-frenzy/
http://www.madcacher.com/new/geocaching-road-trip-frenzy/#commentsTue, 06 Aug 2013 15:44:43 +0000http://www.madcacher.com/?p=2170As an outdoor enthusiast you know how to get out there and have fun. Hikers, you have your switchback-filled trails. Standup paddle boarders, you have your shimmering bodies of water. But there is another group that can claim the entire outdoors as their playground. Geocachers are about to leap into the spotlight.

Hide n Seek

Geocaching can be thought of as outdoor hide n’ seek. Using a GPS system, geocaches (caches for short) can be found by typing in a set of given coordinates.
A cache is a container holding a sheet of paper or a logbook and possibly an item of some sort. If you find a cache with an item in it, the general idea is to take the item as your own, and put something else back in. But that’s the easy part. Finding a cache is where the game is.

Caches are rated on a 5-point system in two different categories of skill and terrain. A small cache under a lone tree in a public park could be considered a 1/1 rated cache. The tougher a cache is to find, and the rougher the terrain is to reach it, the higher the rating. An example of a 5/5 cache would be a container at the top of Half Dome containing a log sheet and a free locking carabineer. Get it?

CacheStock

Caches can be found in every type of location imaginable. That’s why there are so many. Any moment now, the amount of caches in the world will total 2 million, according to GeekWire’s calculations.

There are plenty of travel details for the event. But, keep this in mind. As geocaching requires some serious travel, you’re going to want a reliable car. You’ll definitely want to get in contact with your auto insurance company to get the best deal on covering your geocaching vehicle. Some caches are way off the beaten path and may require some off-roading.

CacheTripping

The same goes for finding caches in any state. Caches are located all along the Appalachian Trail with thousands to be found in places like Maine and on Blood Mountain, Ga. Geocaching can also be done on many of the classic American road trips. If you thought driving Route 66 was fun before, wait until you check out the cache called “Hydro Flute: The Lady or The Tiger” in Barstow, Calif. Further along the Route is “Full Metal Yucca” in New Mexico.

Remember, geocaching is an adventure game. Some of the caches can be tough to get to and have an impact on your vehicle. Check with the professionals first.

Nearly 600 teams from 30 states and six countries are already signed up for this free, family-friendly geocaching mega-event in West Bend, the Geocaching Capital of the Midwest TM. The Cache Ba$h will be held on August 9-10 in West Bend’s Regner Park with a cash raffle totaling $1,000 and tons of other great prizes! The event draws all different demographics – from families with small children to teens and older couples. Whether your group is just delving into the world of geocaching, or you’re already a die-hard, you’re welcome at the Cache Ba$h.

This year, 65 new permanent caches have been established for the event, bringing West Bend’s total to more than 1,100 caches within a 10-mile radius of the city.

Geocaching, a high-tech version of hide-and seek, has adventurers using GPS devices to locate hidden treasures known as caches. It began in May of 2000, when the White House decided to make high-quality global positioning satellite signals, previously reserved only for government and military use, available to the general public. One GPS enthusiast in Oregon decided to test the accuracy of the new technology by hiding a target in the woods, posting its coordinates on-line, then sitting back to see who might find it. Geocaching was born.

The West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h began in 2008 with about 400 teams. It’s now estimated that the nearly 2,000 people who pilgrimage to West Bend for the event bring in more than $400,000 to the city each year, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and shopping the bustling downtown retail district.

While in town, cachers won’t want to miss the opportunity to hike along the Eisenbahn State Trail, enjoy a meal at one of the dozens of local eateries cooking up fresh, home-cooked delights, or stop by one of the city’s four distinct museums, revealing the storied history of Washington County. Geocaching art lovers should plan to visit the newly reopened Museum of Wisconsin Art, in its new 32,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility along the banks of the Milwaukee River.

Nestled in the northern Kettle Moraine and set against the picturesque backdrop of its historic downtown, West Bend is less than an hour from Milwaukee and hosts the perfect mix of small town charm and big city amenities.

To learn more about the Cache Ba$h, log on to visitwestbendwi.com/cache-bash/ or call (262) 338-2666.

A geocaching road trip can be a great way to spend a weekend (or longer) exploring new areas. Geocaching and road-tripping go together like PB and J, like beer and Pizza, like…well you get the picture. There are however several things you can do to ensure that you have the best road trip experience possible. Here are a few tips and ideas for you would be road-trippers.

Find the right buddy – Sometimes hitting the open road on your own can be a good thing, you get to clear your head and spend a few hours in blissful solitude. Chances are though that if you’re looking at a “road trip” we’re talking about something a tad longer than a 2-4 hour drive. If this is the case, bringing the right friend can have a number of advantages; you’ll have someone to talk to, joke with, split the driving with etc. But also keep in mind that you’ll be spending a lot of time in a small area with this person, so you need to choose wisely. Have a friend that loves to complain, always seems to lose their wallet and loves to drink milk despite being lactose intolerant? Yep; you’re going to want to pass on bringing them along.

Plan, but not too much – Unless you have unlimited time and are completely foot loose and fancy free, you’ll need to have some form of plan as you start out on your road trip. This could be as simple as, “we need to be back by 7pm on Sunday” or even “we’re driving to Washington D.C. because that’s where my favorite cheeseburger place is”. A geocacher needs to take this a step further if they plan on going “off the beaten path”. With the advent of smart phone use in geocaching this has become less important than it used to be, but if you’re going into remote places, make sure you load geocaches along the way into your GPSr device.

Snacks – Beef jerky, fruit, a cooler with your favorite “adult soda”, whatever you think you’ll need, it is far likelier to be cheaper and more readily available if you pack and bring it yourself. Speaking from my own experience, some people can get quite grumpy if they haven’t eaten in a while and having some snacks handy my help to avoid Mr. Pissy Pants from ruining your geocaching adventure.

Car/Motorcycle/Bike – Duh.

Epic Mix Tape – I know, I know – no one makes “mix tapes” anymore, call me retro. But whether it’s on your iPod, through a satellite service, a burned CD or maybe even a cassette, make sure you’ve got the right tunes to cruise down the road. Though not noted above, this may also be a qualifier for the first point on selecting a travel buddy. If you’re into 80’s hair band rock and he’s into Britney Spears, you both may go a tad crazy.

Cache Containers / Maintenance Items – All caches fall onto hard times and if we all help take care of the caches out there they will last longer for all to enjoy. You can get free logbooks here on this website (just sign up for our newsletter for the free printable book). Also having these items will allow you to hide a geocache should you find that perfect spot that you want to share with your fellow cachers.

Clothing/Toiletries – The good news is that unless you’re driving a Delorean you should have plenty of room to bring a wide variety of clothing to fit almost any need. Even if it’s summer, plan on bringing jeans and a jacket – you never know where your adventure is going to take you. Ditto for the winter; you don’t want to have to pass on that hot tub offer from those random Swedes you met along the way because you failed to pack a swimsuit. (Wait, that might work out ok… you get the idea)

101 Devil Caches – Ok; probably not 100% needed, but it makes for good reading, and this is our blog, so a shameless plug for the geocaching book we wrote to help cachers build their own tricky caches was in order.

Dry Erase Board – Sometimes you want / need to communicate with other cars while hurdling down the freeway at 70 miles an hour. Writing a message on a dry erase board and holding it up to the window is one way to communicate. (You do so at your own risk, we’re not saying it’s safe)

Going on a road trip is a time honored rite of passage for many young people and families alike. We hope that these tips will help you on your next adventure. Have you ever been on a geocaching road trip? Have any photos that you’d like to share? If so, we want to hear about it! You can reach us through our contact page or via facebook!

]]>http://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-tips/geocaching-and-road-tripping/feed/2Geocaching and Tick Preventionhttp://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-beginners/geocaching-and-tick-prevention/
http://www.madcacher.com/geocaching-beginners/geocaching-and-tick-prevention/#commentsMon, 06 May 2013 02:53:23 +0000http://www.madcacher.com/?p=2101Granted, because this is a geocaching forum and most of us spend a great deal of time outdoors, tick awareness and prevention is probably nothing new to you. This article is more for the uninitiated and a great opportunity for me to rant.

I hate ticks – plain and simple. Ticks are blood sucking parasites that can carry disease and make life for you and your pets miserable. Ticks are arachnids. They have eight legs, feed entirely on the blood of their hosts and give me the heebie-jeebies. Ticks and bloodsuckers are hands down the most feared items for me in the woods, well that and poison ivy, there is NOTHING I hate more than poison ivy. Give me bears, mountain lions, the occasional rabid squirrel or even meeting the creepy guy named Steve who lives down the street on a geocaching excursion and I’m good – bring it on. Throw down some bloodsuckers and I’m sitting in the corner rocking back and forth babbling to myself like an idiot. There is nothing I hate more than coming home from a geocaching adventure and finding a tick harboring on my neck, ankle or in the most uncomfortable of situations, one that has traveled up a pant leg. Some people hate clowns – don’t judge me.

OK, maybe that is a bit much, but the point is I don’t like ticks and for good reason.
Ticks can carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, tularemia, several diseases that end in “osis” and what I am most familiar with, Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease can affect humans and pets and is often associated with a bulls-eye shaped rash at the infection site. If left untreated, Lyme Disease can cause a host of serious issues involving:

Shooting pains, numbness, and tingling in the hands or feet. A neurological syndrome called Lyme encephalopathy is associated with subtle cognitive problems, such as difficulties with concentration and short-term memory. These patients may also experience profound fatigue. – Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticks

All in all not a good day at Ridgemont High. The aptly named “Deer Tick”, common here in Maine and New Hampshire, is largely responsible for the spread of Lyme Disease. Areas with heavy deer populations will also see a large increase in the tick population. Although deer are tasty, the answer to preventing ticks is not to remove ALL of the deer. A study conducted from 1996 – 2004 found that a controlled population of ten deer per square mile was enough to reduce the tick population by 92%.

Like poison ivy, there are ways to prevent most of the nefarious plants and critters that can hamper the enjoyment of geocaching. As much as I like to rant, a tick is not going to stop me from seeking out a FTF in a remote location or getting on my hands and knees in tall grass to find a particularly tricky cache – I just need to be smart about it.

Here are some tick prevention tips I use and we certainly welcome your thoughts on the subject.

Know the environment – ticks prefer long grass and moist humid areas. If there is a well defined trail, stay near the center

Wash your clothes as they can become attached to the clothing and hit you up for a meal later on.

Inspect yourself and your pets, common areas are under the arms, around the ears, behind the knees, waist and even inside the belly button

Have your pets on a monthly treatment: I use Frontline on my geo-pup

There are several tools on the market to remove ticks, but simple tweezers will work just fine in most cases. Removing ticks from yourself and your pets is essential and the sooner you act the better. Below are some great tips from the ASPCA on how to remove ticks from your fur friends. Most of these tips work for humans as well. My geo-pup makes another Madcacher cameo!

Step-by-Step Tick Removal Instructions for Your Pet

Prepare its Final Resting Place Throwing a tick in the trash or flushing it down the toilet will not kill it, and it’s actually best to hold on to it for awhile for veterinary testing in case your pet falls ill from the bite. Be ready with somewhere to put the tick after you’ve removed it—the best option is a screw-top jar containing some rubbing alcohol.

Don’t Bare-Hand It Put on latex or rubber gloves so you’ll never have direct contact with the tick or your pet’s bite area. Ticks can carry infective agents that may enter your bloodstream through breaks in your skin or through mucous membranes (if you touch your eyes, nostrils or mouth).

Grab a Partner You don’t want your pet squirming away before you’re finished, so if possible, have a helper on hand to distract, soothe or hold her still.

The Removal Treat the bite area with rubbing alcohol and, using a pair of tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the animal’s skin as possible. Pull straight upwards with steady, even pressure. Place the tick in your jar. Do not twist or jerk the tick! This may leave the mouth-parts embedded in your pet, or cause the tick to regurgitate infective fluids. Do not squeeze or crush the body of the tick, because its fluids (saliva and gut contents) may contain infective organisms.

All that Remains Sometimes, in spite of doing everything right, a tick’s mouth-parts will get left behind in your pet’s skin. If the area doesn't appear red or inflamed, the best thing to do is to disinfect it and not to try to take the mouth-parts out. A warm compress to the area might help the body expel them, but do not go at it with tweezers.

Clean Up Thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water (even though you were wearing gloves). Sterilize your tweezers with alcohol or by carefully running them over a flame.

Keep Watch Over the next few weeks, closely monitor the bite area for any signs of localized infection. If the area is already red and inflamed, or becomes so later, please bring your pet—and your jarred tick—to your veterinarian for evaluation. – ASPCAhttp://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/how-to-remove-a-tick-from-your-pet.aspx

We talk a lot about safety here at Madcacher. That’s because we want everyone to be able to enjoy and continuing geocaching for a long time. In fact; anyone who read our post about what to carry in your geocaching kit may have noticed that several of the items are safety focused. One of the things in that kit is a “space blanket”.

Such blankets have been in first aid kits for decades, but they seem to be more and more widespread in today’s world at popular events such as tough mudder or marathons.

These sheets may seem like the foil used for cooking or wrapping food; but they are a completely different animal indeed! As the name implies these wraps were invented by NASA for the space program. Turns out that in 1973 due to a broken heat shield that the Space Lab was overheating. This caused concern for a number or reasons; the equipment began to malfunction, there was the potential for toxic gas build up and of course the pesky problem of astronaut death (NASA tends to frown on that sort of thing). Engineers scrambled to work with an outside company (National Metallizing) to develop an emergency heat shield for the ailing station.

The material is not that much different than what is found in Christmas tinsel, and using an adjusted manufacturing process to make a parasol that the crew placed over the space station. And it worked! It kept the heat from the sun out. And it works the exact same way whether it’s after a race or because you need to find shelter in the woods because you got lot while looking for that 5/5 up a ravine.

The blanket works by reflecting heat in either direction, so it works to keep the heat coming off your body near you.

Though developed by NASA, the blankets are mass-produced today and are available cheaply online from a number of sources. Given the low cost there is no reason to not have a space blanket for geocaching.